Northolt Students Cook Up a Storm

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Rotary Young Chef Competition winners

Wednesday the 2nd February saw the running of the West Area Rotary Young Chef Competition at the Taste Restaurant located in the Ealing, Hammersmith and West London College, Gliddon Road, Barons Court.

The day started at 0930 hrs when the students arrived at the venue and started to prepare for that days main event, they had been tasked with preparing a healthy, one course main meal suitable for two people.

The cost of the ingredients had not to exceed £4.50 and they were expected to complete the task within the 1½ hours time limit.

The Aims of the Rotary Young Chef competition are to encourage young people to:

· Develop cookery skills

· Develop food preparation skills

· Consider healthy eating options

· Prove their organisational and planning skills

· Prove their ability to cope in a demanding situation

The competition is planned for students in full time secondary school education. However, students doing NVQ level 1 (or National equivalent) in catering colleges are also allowed to enter this competition. Students had to be aged 17 years, or under, on 31st August 2010 for the 2011 competition.

Ten students took part in the event and presented a wide variety of dishes which gave the judges for the day Chef Angela Malik and Rotarian Julia Clements-Elliott a very hard task in deed.

As well as Taste the judges marked the students on the healthy choice of dishes, planning , costing, range of skills used, neatness of their working area and hygiene, wise use of time allowed, meal served at correct temperature and presentation of table (including flowers, cloth etc.)

Also in attendance on the day was the Mayor of Ealing, Councillor Rajinder Mann who agreed to present the prizes on the day.

The event was a very closely fought competition with all the students achieving fantastic results and giving the judges a very hard task indeed, the winners however were eventually named and were, Nicole Baker in First Place and Emily Rhodes who was the runner-up, both students attend Northolt High School.

Nicole and Emily will now go on to represent West London in the London Final of the Rotary Young Chef Competition on Saturday the 12th February 2011, at Westminster Kingsway College, were they will compete against the winners of all the other areas across London.

At this event they will be asked to prepare a healthy 2 course main meal and desert for 2 people which must not cost more than £7.

The event on the 2nd was a great day and all of the contestants were winners in the end, and we look forward to a similar result on the 12th.
For more information on this event please contact Bill Tillotson, The Rotary Club of Hanwell & Northfields on 07534 260095 or by email youth@hanwell-northfieldsrotary.org.uk or visit our web site at www.hanwell-northfieldsrotary.org.uk.

9th February 2011